Acetylene-gas generator



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ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR Filed May 29. 1922 port 16.

Patented Aug. 24, 1926.

narran stares 335%?,121 PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK L. THOMPSON AND SAMUEL R. BARGER, 0F INDEPENDENCE, MISSOURI.

ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

Application ledMay 29, 1922. Serial No. 564,436.

Our invention relates to apparatus for generating acetylene domesticpurposes, andl our objects lare to simplify apparatus of this characterby dispensing with the usual floating gas holder employed forcontrolling the carbid feeding mechanism; to provide a generator havinga feeding mechanism capable of supplying the carbid to the water in thegenerating chamber as required; to provide easy access to clean orrepair the feeding mechanism; to provide means for disposing of thesludge formed during the generation of the gas; and to provide safetymeans for preventing fire from flashing backwardly into the generatorfrom the service pipe which conducts the gas to the point of use.

Tith the above objects in viewv and others which will be detailedduring` the course of this description, referenceV will now be had tothe accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section of the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of the tubular portion of theapparatus, taken on line 11-11 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus.

In carrying out the invention, we employ a tank 2 of suitable capacityin which the generation of gas takes place. Said tank 2 has a bottom 4and a top 6, which latter is removably secured by bolts 8 to acircumferential flange 10 fixed to the upper end of the tank 2, a gasket12 being interposed between the top 6 and said flange 10 to provide agas-tight joint.

14 designates a hopper fixed in the upper portion of the tank 2 lforholding a supply 0f carbid. Said hopper 14 has a conical bottom portionconverging to an outlet port 16 through which the carbid is dischargedinto the water in the tank 2.

18 designates a valve for controlling the discharge of the carbidthrough the outlet Said valve 18 is fixed upon one end of a. lever 2Ofulcrumed to a bracket 22 and provided at its opposite end with anadjustably mounted counterweight 24, which normally holds said valve 18in closed position. The valve 18 is automatically opened to supply thecarbid to the water as required, through the intermediacy of a.connecting rod 26, ivotally secured at one end to a lug 28 on tie lever2O and secured at its oppo-l site end to a diaphragm 30 fixed in a oh.rrr

The

gas for commercial and tank 2 by a nipple 33 and communicates with apressure tank 34 through a pipe connection 36. The pressure tank 34communicates with the interior upper portion of the tank 2 through apipe 38 equipped with a needle valve 40, which on beingopened admits gasunder pressure to the tank 34v and to one side of the diaphragm 30.

41 designates a hand-hole in the upper portion of thetank 2, so thataccess may be had to the valve 18 and its control mechanism for thepurpose of cleaning and adjusting the same. The cover of the handhole 41has a stufling box 42 through which a shaft 44 extends from the exteriorto the interior of the tank 2, said shaft 44 being provided at its innerend with a fixedlymounted crank 46 and at its outer end with a handwheel 48 whereby the shaft may be turned to cause the crank 46 to raisethe counterweight 34 for the purpose of opening the valve 18 when it isdesired to start the generation of gas.

50 designates a flash-back chamber supported adjacent to the exteriorupper portion of lthe tank 2 by a pipe 52 leading from the interiorupper portion of said tank 2 down to a point adjacent to the bottom ofthe chamber 50, said pipe 52 being provided with a safety valve 54 forrelieving the tank 2 of undue pressure. A service pipe 55 leads theacetylene gas from the chamber 5() to the point of use.

56 designates' an agitator arranged within the tank 2 near its bottomportion -4 and mounted upon a shaft 58 journaled in bearings 60 andextendingvoutvvardly through a stuffing box 62 fixed to the wall of thetank The outer end of the shaft 58 is bent to form a handle 64 wherebyit' may be rocked for the purpose of actuating the agitator 56 andcausing it to loosen up any sludge in the lower portion ofthe tank 2, sothat said sludge may be carried off through an outlet valve 66 towardswhich the bottom 4 converges.

68 designates a gage connected to the upper portion of the tank 2 forthe purpose of indicating the pressure therein.

In practice the hopper 14 is charged with carbid through an opening 70in the top 6, after which said opening is closed by a screw plug 72.later is then introduced into the 'tank 2 to the height of a fillingopening 74, which is then c osed b." f1a screw plug 76. 'Water umiaaaaae; at@ the chamber 50 to `the level of a filling opening 78, whichis then closed by a plug 80. To start the generation of gas the needlevalve 40 is opened and the hand-wheel 48 is actuated to cause the crank46 to raise the counterweight 24 and open the valve 18, so 'tha-t aquantity of the carbid may pass from the hopper 14 into the water in thetank 2. After sufcientcarbid has been discharged into the water to raisethe pressure to the desired point within the tank 2 and the pressuretank 84 the wheel 48 is rotated to carry the crank 4G downwardly awayfrom the counterweight 24, so that the same may automatically close thevalve 18. The valve 40 is then closed to entrap the gas under pressurein the tank 34 and that portion of the chamber 32 at the left of thediaphragm 32, Fig. 1. The diaphragm 32 is held in neutral or balancedposition by the entrapped pressure above referred to and the pressure inthe tank 2, which ente-rs that portion of the chamber 82 at the right ofthe diaphragm 30 through the nipple 83. The diaphragm remains in neutralposition until sufiicient gas has passed out through the service pipe 55to lower the pressure in the tank 2. whereupon the greater pressure inthe tank 34 forces the diaphragm 30 to the right and causes it throughthe intermediacy of the connecting rod 26 to open the valve 18 againstthe action of the counterweight 24 and thus admit more carbid to thetank 2. The gas produced by the additional carbid soon raises thepressure high enough to close the valve with the aid of thecounterweight 24. rlhe intermittent opening of the valve 18 continues aslong as carbid remains in the hopper 14 and gas is drawn ofi1 throughthe service pipe 55. lhen it is desired to stop the generation of gas inthe tank 2 the valve 40 is fully opened so that the pressure in the tank34 will diminish with the pressure in the tank 2 caused by thewithdrawal of the gas through the service pipe 55. The pressure thenbeing equal on both sides of the diaphragm 30, allows the count-erweight24 to close the valve 18 and retain it in such closed position until itis again manually opened thro-ugh the operation of the hand-wheel 48 andthe crank 46. As the gas flows from the tank 2 and through the tank 5t)the watt-r in the latter performs the dual function of purifying the gasand also preventing any back` Hash which might occur in the service pipe55, from passing backwardly into the tank 2 and exploding the gastherein.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that we haveproduced a generator Vembodying the advantages above pointed oult, andWhile we haveshown and described the preferred construction, combinationand arrangement of parts, we reserve the right to make such changes asproperly fall within the spirit and scope of the claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we cla-im and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is:

1. An acetylene generator consisting of a main tank lfor holding water,a carbid holder having an outlet through which the carbid is fed intothe water to generate acetylene gas, a valve to control said outlet, acounterweight for closing said valve, a pressure tank com! municatingwith sai-d main tank to receive therefrom a portion of the gas., a valveto close communication between the main tank and said pressure tank toentrap the gas admitted to the latter from the fermer, a chambercommunicating with the main tank and the pressure t-ank, a diaphragmdividing said chamber and responsive to the pressure of the gas in themain and pressure tanks, and a connection between said diaphragm and thevalve controlling the carbid outlet whereby said valve is controlled bythe diaphragm.

2. An acetylene generator consisting of a main tank for holding water, acarbid holder having an outlet through which the carbid is fed into thewater to generate acetylene gas, a valve to control said outlet, a leverpivotally mounted on the carbid holder and whereby said valve iscarried, a counterweight on said lever to normally hold the valve inclosed position, a pressure tank communicating with said main tank toreceive therefrom a portion of the gas, a valve to close communicationbetween the main tank and said pressure tank to entra-p the gas admittedto the latter from the former, a chamber communieating with the m-aintank and the pressure tank, a diaphragm dividing said chamber andresponsive to the pressure of the gas in the main and pressure tanks,and a con-,

nection between said diaphragm and the valve controlling the carbidoutlet whereby said valve is opened by the diaphragm when the pressurein the main tank falls below that in the pressure tank.

In testimony whereof we afx our signatures.

F RANK L. THOMPSON. SAMUEL R. BAR-GER.

